The 17 Best Face Moisturizers That Are Everything Your Skin Needs
When it comes to your skincare routine, moisturizer is just one of those steps that you don’t want to skip. Consider it a skincare staple that’s just as important as washing your face and brushing your teeth morning and night. Have you ever forgotten to moisturize after your cleansing routine? Remember that dry, tight feeling and that missing glow? IYKYK. Moisturizer is the key to hydration, and we know that hydration means healthier, smoother, glowier skin—not to mention a smoother canvas for your makeup and a more radiant complexion when you wake up.
The best part about picking out moisturizer? No matter what your skin type is or what your concerns are, there’s a moisturizer that can help whip your skin into shape. Here are 17 moisturizers that we (and you!) love for glowing, hydrated skin.
1. Best Face Moisturizer with SPF:
FIRST AID BEAUTY Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Ipsters are raving about this cult-favorite, and for good reason. It is non-greasy, blends into skin seamlessly, won’t cause breakouts, and keeps your skin dewy all day without feeling like you’re even wearing a product with SPF in it. “I have very sensitive skin, and using traditional sunscreen sometimes causes me to break out. This is so easy to use and gentle on my skin! No burn, no breakout, no dryness. Gentle sun protection!,” one Ipster says. Plus, it's made with glycerin to help soften and smooth dry skin.
2. Best Face Moisturizer for Post-Workout Hydration:
ALO YOGA SKINCARE Luminizing Face Moisturizer
We’re not just saying it because of the brand name, but we smoothed this into our skin after a quick yoga sesh and it calmed redness, absorbed quickly, and left our skin feeling soft and glowy all day. Formulated with nourishing ingredients like amla (an Ayurvedic superberry), aloe, avocado oil, and marula oil, this baby brightens, hydrates, and practically lives in our gym bag.
3. Most Nourishing Face Moisturizer:
FEEL BEAUTY Probiotic Moisturizer
Probiotics work wonders for your gut, so it's no surprise that they’re amazing for your skin. This skin-quenching formula is made with 3% Lactobacillus ferment, which helps protect and repair your skin from environmental stressors like pollution and free radicals. The best part? it absorbs super quickly. “I’m absolutely obsessed with this product! It’s so smooth and feels amazing on the skin—like a drink of water for your face,” says Ipster Lisa M. It hydrates heavily (without the actual heavy feel), and it's great for sensitive skin too.
4. Best Brightening Moisturizer:
KEYS SOULCARE Protect Your Light SPF 30 Daily Facial Moisturizer
We keep on fallin’ (sorry, couldn’t help ourselves) in love with this hydrating daily moisturizer from Alicia Keys and board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Renée Snyder’s brand, KEYS SOULCARE. It’s a lightweight moisturizing cream made with squalane derived from olives and niacinamide (two powerful skincare ingredients) that help brighten skin while providing anti-aging and antioxidant benefits.
5. Best Face Moisturizer for Combination Skin:
PISTACHÉ SKINCARE Hydrating Face Moisturizer With Vitamin E
We know vitamin E is amazing for our skin and skin barrier (think: hydrating, free-radical fighting, healing), but pair it with pistachio seed oil, and the skin nourishing benefits are amplified. Even better, our Ipsters with combination skin love it, with one saying, “I am very oily in the T-zone and very dry everywhere else. It moisturizes both areas perfectly. My dry area feels soft and supple and my oily areas feel like the rest of my face without greasiness.”
6. Most Multitasking Face Moisturizer:
FRESH Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Moisturizer
Dry skin? Check. Mature skin? Fine lines beware. Oily skin? Won’t clog a pore. Made with hyaluronic acid (a powerful humectant), Damask rose extract, rosewater, and a special time-release technology, this face cream locks in loads of hydration for hours while helping soften and plump up your skin. We love to use it as a day cream, nighttime repair cream, and even as a sleep mask.
7. Most Hydrating Moisturizer Formula:
DR. JART Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream
If you’re prone to dry skin in the winter, or all year round this rich skin saver in a tube will surely kick any signs of dehydration to the curb. It’s all thanks to a combination of skin barrier strengthening ceramides, panthenol, and glycerin. “My skin is so dry and gets red and flaky but I got this in the previous IPSY box and I’ve used it every day since. Now my skin is plump, soft, has no more redness, and it’s hydrated. Also, there’s no more flaking with or without makeup on,” says one Ipster. We plan to pack this with us on all our cold winter trips to keep our skin moisturized and protected from the elements.
8. Best Pore-Tightening Moisturizer:
OLEHENRIKSEN Cold Plunge Moisturizer
Ever splash your face with cold water or rub ice over your skin to get that tight, poreless effect? Well, this feel-good face cream does just that, but make it skincare. When it comes to dealing with large pores, there’s an endless array of options that promise to help unclog, blur, shrink, or help make them virtually disappear, but not all truly live up to their expectations. This non-comedogenic one totally did. We smoothed it on and loved how lightweight it felt (almost like a lotion), with a cooling effect that helped shrink wrap our pores thanks to a mix of AHAs and BHAs. Even better, it promises to help improve texture, smooth fine lines, and target dark spots. Basically, it’s four skincare products in one!
9. Best Night-Cream Moisturizer:
EIGHT SAINTS SKINCARE Up the Anti Aging Night Cream
This glowing Ipster review pretty much says it all: “The cream has a rich, nourishing texture that absorbs well without feeling heavy or greasy. After using it for a few weeks, I've noticed a significant improvement in my skin's hydration and elasticity. Fine lines appear diminished, and my skin looks more radiant and youthful each morning.” Same, babe. Vitamin B3, peptides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid pack a quadruple punch that make this a staple in any anti-aging skincare routine. Smooth it onto skin right before you snooze to help hydrate, firm, soften, and increase collagen production.
10. Best Face Moisturizer With Vitamin C:
MURAD Essential-C Firming Radiance Day Cream
When we think of bright, even-toned skin, we immediately think of vitamin C. That ingredient is included in this soft-as-butter cream plusbacillus ferment (another probiotic bacteria), which work together to help brighten dull skin and even out skin tone. The formula also includes ceramide-packed pineapple extract to strengthen and plump your complexion. Apply morning and night for an otherworldly glow.
11. Best Gel Moisturizer:
LANEIGE Water Bank Blue HA Gel Moisturizer
Besides a texture that’s so satisfying (this treat feels like a cooling, bouncy jelly on skin), what has us hooked is how easily this lightweight hyaluronic acid–packed gel hydrates all of our dry spots—no greasy residue, just a light and airy feel that we trust to layer onto our acne-prone skin. “Put this in the fridge for just a bit before finishing your skincare routine, and you will be floating on a cloud. It feels like heaven and keeps my skin so plump and clear,” one Ipster tells us. Love that tip too!
12. Best Moisturizer With Retinol:
DEW OF THE GODS The Theory™ Retinol Creme Blend
The benefits of incorporating retinol into your skincare routine are endless. But if you’re new to the retinol chat, jumping right into using retinol on its own can be intimidating (and needs an adjustment period). A moisturizer and retinol combo at night is the way to go, and this gentle-on-skin formula makes for an easy transition. Aside from its star ingredient, this hydrator uses oat milk and hyaluronic acid to help keep skin drenched while it absorbs all the anti-aging benefits.
13. Best Oil-Free Face Moisturizer:
KATE SOMERVILLE® Oil Free Moisturizer
rich cream but absorbs straight away to deeply hydrate. It doesn't sit on the skin like other moisturizers for oily to combination skin. It really sinks in and hydrates properly,” one Ipster tells us. Even better, it's super lightweight and fragrance-free, so it won’t irritate skin or clog pores. Use it morning and night after your cleanser, toner, and serum for your best skin ever.
14. Best Face Moisturizer for All Skin Types:
FENTY SKIN Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen with Niacinamide + Kalahari Melon
Thanks to a host of good-for-all-skin ingredients, this multitasking moisturizer is a fan fave for many reasons. One Ipster tells us, “I am super excited that it has niacinamide, aloe, and hyaluronic acid in it, as these ingredients help to lighten dark spots that I have a few from years in the sun, brighten up my skin tone, smooth and blur pores, plus moisturize my skin. And it has SPF 30 in it, which I love!” Plus, it blends seamlessly under makeup for flawless all-day wear.
15. Best Daytime Moisturizer:
KIEHL’S Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30
This moisturizing lotion is about as basic as it gets (in a good way). Lightweight and quickly absorbed, the formula is perfect under makeup and provides the optimum amount of hydration to last through the day. And of course, it also contains broad spectrum SPF 30, so you’ll always have that extra layer of sun protection built right in.
16. Best Skin Repairing Moisturizer:
LA ROCHE-POSAY Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
This lightweight moisturizer is packed with skin-loving ingredients like ceramides to repair the skin barrier, hydrating glycerin, and soothing and brightening niacinamide. Plus, it’s oil-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic, and fragrance-free.
17. Best Moisturizer for Dewy Skin:
ITEM BEAUTY Overdew Rich Moisturizer
Want that post-workout glow without the sweat? Look no further. A little bit goes a long way with this deeply hydrating cocktail of tiger grass extract, argan oil, murumuru butter, and magnolia berry extract that inject loads of moisture into skin without leaving any stickiness or heaviness behind—just a healthy, hydrated glow that you’ll look like you rolled out of bed with.
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